Monday Motivation #51 | Acts of Courageous Homemaking #5, In the Darkness, Remember

As we close out this season of The Art of Home, the fifth and final Act of Courageous Homemaking I'd like to challenge you with is, In the Darkness, Remember. 

When you cannot see the way out, you must cling to the gracious hand of God and let Him guide you. 

You will learn to recognize His hand in the dark when you remember Who He is, what He has done, and what He promises to do.

NOTES & LINKS

Other Episodes in this Series:

• MM #46 Acts of Courageous Homemaking | Our Foundation
• MM #47 Acts of Courageous Homemaking #1 | Be Informed
• MM #48 Acts of Courageous Homemaking #2 | Keep the Home Fires Burning
• MM #49 Acts of Courageous Homemaking #3 | Be Salty, Stay Lit
• MM #50 Acts of Courageous Homemaking #4 | Expect, but Don't Borrow Trouble

Scripture in this Episode:

Isaiah 9:2, 6

John 8:12

Be Our Guest! I'm looking for guests for our Spring 2026 season. Apply or Nominate Through 02.15.26 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Happy Monday, homemakers. Welcome to Monday Motivation, brought to you by the Art of Home Podcast, where we are exploring how homemakers cultivate a place to belong. I'm your host, Allison Weeks. I'm a wife, a mom, a granny, and I've been practicing the Art of Home for over 30 years. Thank you so much for joining me for a little Monday motivation today. Every Monday, you can meet me here for homemaking tips, ideas, and encouragement in this short form episode. If you like what you hear today, be sure to check out our long form episodes that come out every Wednesday, where we feature stories of homemakers just like you and deep dives into topics related to homemaking. Today's Monday Motivation was originally published in Homemaker Happy Mail, November 8th, 2024. Over the past season, we have been exploring courageous homemaking. First, we looked at how the sovereignty of God is the foundation for courageous homemaking. Then we began week by week exploring five acts of courageous homemaking. First, to resist the urge to check out of culture and current events, and instead be informed by trustworthy sources. Next, we saw how keeping the home fires burning was a courageous act in the midst of living in a spiritual war zone. Our third act of courageous homemaking was to be salty and stay lit in this confused and dark world. And last week we looked at why we should expect but not borrow trouble as we practice homemaking in a world where hard things happen all the time. The final act. The fifth and final act of courageous homemaking, I would like to challenge you with is in the darkness, remember. As we discussed last week, it is inevitable that we will face difficult and dark times in life. Many years ago, I heard a pastor say, Christian, you are either in the middle of a trial, just coming out of a trial, or about to enter a trial. As a very new believer and young wife and mom, I was taken aback, rather depressed by and even a little frightened of that statement. Decades later, I can say that pastor was spot on. And I now know that those dark times were instrumental for my spiritual growth. It was in the darkness that the Lord taught me how to depend solely on him. When you cannot see the way out, you must cling to the gracious hand of God and let him guide you. Learn to recognize his hand. Over two years of dating and about 33 years of marriage, I have held hands with my husband thousands of times. I could identify his hand by sight or even just by feel in a lineup of dozens of other hands. I know his hand as well as my own. I know its strength, tenderness, weakness, shape, color. I know every freckle and scar. I know that when his hand grabs mine in a crowded space or on a dark street, he desires to keep me safe and lead me well. I've seen his hands tenderly wash our newborns and wipe tears from our anxious young adults' eyes. I've seen his hands take out thousands of bags of trash, push a lawnmower for hundreds of miles, and open the door, headed out to provide for our family day after day after day for over three decades. God wants each one of us to recognize his hand with that kind of familiarity, to be able to find his hand in the darkness and confidently surrender to his trustworthy guidance because we've experienced his hand faithfully lead us in the past. Familiarity is forged over time through experience, and it is tested in the darkness. On Christ the solid rock, I stand. When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace. Such a beautiful and encouraging line from this beloved hymn. The writer doesn't sugarcoat things saying, if darkness veils his lovely face, rather he says, when we can't see God's face because our circumstances are dark, the solution is to rest on God's unchanging grace. Grace is undeserved favor. God has been so good to me, not because I deserved it, but because he is good and gracious. His grace is unchanging because he is unchanging. The same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. When I find myself in dark circumstances, I need to remember and rest on his unchanging grace. I find his familiar hand in the dark as I meditate on his faithfulness to me in the past, his nearness in the present, and his promises for the future. Courage, dear homemaker. This thing we do of making a home, it's messy. It's hard. And that's just the day-to-day stuff. So many other things can pile on top until we are buried under oppressive weight and shadow. But no matter how deep the pit, homemaker, take courage as you remember, darkness does not have the final word. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9, 2 and 6. Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8, 12. Reach out in the darkness to take hold of his nail-scarred hand and let him lead you well. Thank you for listening to this short little Monday motivation, which caps off our series and the winter 2026 season of the Art of Home. I will be on a break for the month of March, which gives you lots of time to catch up on any episodes you might have missed or even revisit a few you would like to ponder over just a little bit more. The spring 2026 season will begin on April 6th. Until then, keep practicing your art of making a home.